Ally Common Issues – How to Fix Them
Contents
1. Tables missing headers
2. Add Image Descriptions
3. Add Headings to a Document
4. The PDF is untagged
5. Remove Potentially Harmful Content
6. Scanned PDFs
7. Fix Text Contrast
8. Font Selection
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1. Select How to set table headers and follow the instructions.
2. Open the Word file or PowerPoint on your computer.
3. Click Review > Check Accessibility.
4. Click the right arrow.
5. Hover over Table, click the down arrow and then select Use first row as header.
6. Save the file.
7. Go back to the file within your Blackboard course and click on the Ally score icon.
8. Click Browse, select the file and click Open.
See: Blackboard Support Article
If you have placed an image within the Ultra document content editor, the image will need an alternative description associated with it.
1. Click the Ally icon within the image.
2. Enter the image description in the Add alternative description box and click Add.
For images in Microsoft Office app files (Word and PowerPoint), you'll need to add alternative text descriptions by following the steps below.
1. Open the Word file or PowerPoint on your computer.
2. Click Review > Check Accessibility.
3. Click the right arrow.
4. Hover over the first picture, click the down arrow and select Add a description.
5. Enter in your picture description.
6. Click the X.
7. Add a description to any additional pictures (figures). If your Word or PowerPoint file contains any stock images, thy will contain descriptions automatically.
In Microsoft Office products, use the Styles menu.
General Tips
• Use the built-in styles of your software to set headings; manually changing the font will not provide the required background coding.
• Stay sequential, do not skip levels
• Slide titles = headings in presentations
Blackboard Support Article
1. Select How to set table headers and follow the instructions.
2. Open the Word file on your computer.
3. Place your insertion point in the text you want to make a heading style.
4. Click the Home tab and choose a heading you want from the Styles group.
5. Save the file.
6. Go back to the file within your Blackboard course and click on the Ally score icon.
7. Click Browse, select the file, and click Open.
Blackboard Support Article
1. Select How to tag a PDF and select Yes.
2. If You Have the Original Word file
a. Open the Word file on your computer.
b. Place your insertion point in the text you want to make a heading style.
c. Click the Home tab and then choose a heading from the Styles group.
d. Save the file.
e. If you want to save it as a PDF file, then do the following:
i. Click the File tab and then enter in a title.
ii. Click Save As and save the file as a PDF.
iii. Go back to the file within your Blackboard course and click on the Ally score icon.
iv. Click Browse, select the file and click Open.
3. If you don’t have the Original Word File just the PDF file, you have two options:
a. Option 1 - Open the PDF file in Word and then repeat the above steps.
b. Option 2
1) Open the PDF file in Adobe Acrobat.
2) Click All Tools.
3) Click View more.
4) Click Prepare for accessibility.
5) Click Automatically tag PDF.
6) Save the document.
7) Go back to the file within your Blackboard course and click on the Ally score
icon.
8) Click Browse, select the file, and click Open.
Blackboard Support Article
See: Blackboard Support Article
1. Select How to fix this.
2. If you have the original document, such as Word, open the file, run the Check Accessibility option, fix all of the accessibility, save the document, go back to the file within your Blackboard course and click on the Ally score icon, Click Browse, select the file and click Open.
3. If you don’t have the original document, then open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat.
4. From the All Tools panel, select Scan & OCR.
5. Click in this file below
6. Click Recognize Text.
7. Click the left arrow.
8. From the All Tools panel, click View more.
9. Click Prepare for Accessibility
10. Click Automatically Tag PDF.
(NOTE: If your PDF file does not have images then skip to step 15 to enter in title.)
11. Click Add alternative text
12. Click Ok.
Enter in a description within the Alternate text field. You will need to go through your images to make sure that they either have an Alternate text or you can mark it as Decorative figure.
13. If you have another image, then click the right arrow which will be blue and enter in the description.
14. Once you are done addressing all of your images, click Save & Close.
15. Click Menu > Document properties.
16. Make sure that the document has a title. (Note: If the document does not have a title, you will need to add one).
17. Click OK.
18. Save the file.
19. Go back to the file within your Blackboard course and click on the Ally score icon.
20. Click Browse, select the file and click Open.
What and Why:
• Color Contrast = Contrast between the color of text or an image and the background color (e.g. black text on white background)
• Eases reading experience for users with vision-based disabilities, chronic migraines, reading disabilities, and more
• Decreases impact of technology access, such as old monitors or high-glare environments
In Microsoft Office Products, use the Font menu. You can customize colors and use Hex Keys in the More Colors menu.
General tips
• Do not use color as sole indicator of importance
• If not using a color contrast tool, stick with dark text on a light background or light text on a dark background.
Blackboard Support Article
1. Open the Word or PowerPoint file on your computer.
2. Click Review > Check Accessibility.
3. Click the Right arrow.
4. Click the arrow down, click the right arrow and then select a color such as Black.
5. Repeat steps for any additional text contrast issues.
What and Why
• Font = Style of text
• Using fonts with defined letters eases reading for those with vision-based and reading disabilities
• Allows for wider variety of screen varieties and types
• Easily distinguishable text creates better alternative formats (e.g. Word to Learn item)
In Microsoft Office products, use the Font menu.
General Tips:
• Avoid script, handwriting, and other highly artistic fonts
• Avoid lite/light font styles
• Use familiar/common fonts
• Stick with size 12 or larger
